Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Annabel Langbein - Simple Pleasures

I love everything about this new book from Annabel Langbein, NZ's biggest selling cookery writer by a country mile, (Annabel Langbein The
Free Range Cook has sold about 165,000 copies in NZ alone, and Annabel's previous
book The Best of Annabel Langbein: Great Food for Busy Lives (aka to me and many others as 'The Bible')
has also sold more than 150,000 copies in NZ).The design, the photography, the recipes, the friendly text, no doubt it is another winner especially with the TV series of the same name about to kick off. SCREENING ON TV ONE AT 7PM ON Saturday NIGHTS FROM 22 SEPTEMBER.

Look at these gorgeous endpapers!

Following
the phenomenal local and international success of her TV series and cookbook Annabel Langbein The Free Range Cook, Annabel
returns to her idyllic lakeside cabin in Wanaka (photos above) to cook up an exciting new
batch of recipes.

True
to her philosophy that quality natural ingredients need little in the way of
fussy preparation, her new TV series and
book are entitled Annabel Langbein
The Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures.

In
each half-hour TV episode she ventures out by jetboat, helicopter or in her
trusty yellow truck to meet local producers, gathering artisanal ingredients to
combine with seasonal harvests from her own garden in simple but delicious meals
to be shared with family and friends.

With
her fresh, free-spirited approach, effortlessly achievable recipes and clever
cooking tips, Annabel shows how easy it is to bring good food and good times
into today’s fast-paced world.

As
well as more than 200 delicious recipes, all easily achievable by the home
cook, the accompanying book features menu suggestions drawn from the TV series,
plus Annabel’s musings on living well in today’s fast-paced world.

It
is interactive with Annabel’s website annabel-langbein.com, with QR codes on
many recipes linking the reader directly to a video of Annabel making that
recipe or sharing her tips for simplifying tricky techniques (please note these won’t be active until the
launch of the TV series later in September).

“In
the rush and bustle of daily life it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, as though
there’s never enough time to stop and just be,” says Annabel. “Growing,
preparing and enjoying food together quickly gives us a sense of belonging.”

With
this inspiring new TV series and book, viewers and readers are invited to take
time out from their busy schedules to savour life’s simple pleasures.

Annabel Langbein is New
Zealand’s leading celebrity cook, food writer and publisher, and the star of
her own international television series, Annabel
Langbein The Free Range Cook.

With
19 cookbooks under her belt, Annabel has earned a passionate following for her
uncomplicated recipes that transform inexpensive, everyday ingredients into
meals with the wow factor. She draws on a global palette of flavours and her
trademark Fridge Fixings to create dishes that are big on flavour while, with a
few indulgent exceptions, light on fat and sugar.

Annabel’s books have won
numerous international awards, been translated into multiple languages and sold
close to two million copies throughout Europe, North America and Australasia.

The first season of her TV
series was produced in association with TVNZ and distributed by leading
production company Fremantle Media and sold into 83 territories around the
world. A second season will have its international debut in primetime on TVNZ’s
TV One in Spring 2012, and the accompanying book of the same name will be
published concurrently in New Zealand and Australia.

The book that accompanied
the first season, Annabel Langbein TheFree Range Cook, became a publishing
phenomenon when it sold close to 150,000 copies in New Zealand alone in the
eight months following its release in September 2010. It has since been
published in Australia (with HarperCollins), the UK (with Octopus), France (with
Larousse) and the Netherlands (with Unieboek). German and Polish editions are
due for release later in 2012. The book was named Best TV Cookbook in the
Gourmet World Cookbook Awards for 2012.

Annabel grows much of her
family’s fresh produce in extensive organic vegetable gardens at her Auckland
home and the rustic cabin on the shores of scenic Lake Wanaka where Annabel Langbein The Free Range Cook is
filmed. She is a member of the Sustainability Council of New Zealand and a
passionate advocate for using seasonal ingredients as a means to cooking and
eating well.

And here is a recipe from the book for you to try,(I can vouch it is delicious):

Annabel Langbein’s Chicken
and Leek Gratin

It’s easy to get
stuck in a rut cooking the same old things, but one of the easiest ways to get
out of that rut is to revitalise old favourites. Here I’ve given a classic leek
and chicken bake a fabulous update by marinating the chicken in cayenne, mustard
and worcestershire sauce. It’s such a useful dish to make in advance and keep
in the fridge until you’re ready to pop it in the oven.

Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 1¼ hours
Serves 6

3 tbsp butter

4 leeks, thinly sliced

salt and ground black pepper

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp thyme leaves

½ tsp salt

½ cup cream or chicken stock

1 recipe Provençal Crust (see below)

Heat butter in a heavy pan, add leeks and season with salt and
pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring now and then, until softened and no longer
bright green (about 15 minutes).

While the leeks are cooking, place chicken in a bowl with
mustard, worcestershire sauce, cayenne, thyme and salt and stir to combine.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes while the leeks cook.

Remove cooked leeks from heat and mix in cream or chicken
stock. Spread evenly in the base of a large, shallow baking dish. Arrange
chicken thighs on top then cover with Provençal Crust. The gratin can be prepared
in advance to this stage and chilled for several hours until needed.

When
ready to cook, preheat oven to 180°C. Bake until chicken
is fully cooked through and crumbs are golden (about 1 hour).

Provençal Crust

I often double this
recipe so I can keep some in the freezer. It makes a great topping for a gratin,
cauliflower cheese or braised vegetables and can also be used as a crust for
lamb or a topping for baked mushrooms.

Prep time 10 mins
Makes 2½ cups

½ loaf day-old rustic bread

4 cloves garlic

2 handfuls parsley leaves

1 tsp coarsely chopped rosemary leaves

3 anchovies

60g butter, softened but not melted

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

½ cup coarsely grated parmesan

Break bread into rough chunks, removing crusts if they are
very hard, and pulse in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Measure out
2 heaped cups and freeze any remaining crumbs for future use.

Place
garlic, parsley, rosemary, anchovies, butter and lemon zest in a food processor
and whizz to chop finely. Add breadcrumbs and
parmesan and pulse to just combine. Provençal Crust will keep in a container in
the fridge for up to a week or can be frozen.